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"It has been often observed that religion heightens and improves the pleasures of this life: our minds are so constituted, that our chief pleasure consists not in the present enjoyment, but in the prospect of some future good. Now this pleasure religion affords in a peculiar manner, because while it sweetens our enjoyments here, it promises to perfect them hereafter. But be careful to inculcate the fundamental doctrines of religion, not contending for speculative opinions, on controverted or doubtful points, striving about words to no profit."

"Let us ever remember that there is no goodness or sufficiency of ourselves, but it is all given by efficacy of divine grace."

"Let the believer never forget that every thing short of hell, is to sinners a mercy from a holy God, and he of very faithfulness, causes his dearest servants to be troubled."

"Those who are generally wandering about are necessarily strangers at home; so they who know every person's character seldom know their own."

"The Gospel treats all mankind as already in a state of condemnation; it declares their utter inability to save or help themselves, and it gives assurance to all of pardon; to all that believe the gospel of the Son of God."

"Have we any thing which we have not received, or have we any thing which we have not abused? why then is sinful dust and ashes proud? for humility may be called the ground-work of every grace, which will lead us continually to Jesus, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift; but if we have no communion with him, we are poor indeed: but, possessing him, we have all that this world can give."

"Nature is satisfied with little; its wants are few, and easily supplied: but care is an evil spirit that haunts fine houses and large estates. Solomon declares the emptiness of riches, vanity of vanities.""

"I know that my life is determined to a day, to an hour, and I shall live out every minute God hath ap

pointed; but yet I am bound to provide food, raiment, and physic to preserve it."

[The Editor knew good Mr. Woofe well, and valued him highly. He was a striking instance of the great good which a person in humble life may do, if his heart is only right with God. With a moderate education, and a slender purse, he improved his one talent most diligently and most successfully; and perhaps few could have died more generally beloved or more missed in the town of Kendal. Like his blessed Master, he truly went about doing good. Oh! that many such may be raised up to leaven the mass of our ignorant and needy population!]

"IS IT I?"

What multitudes have professed the name of Christ! and yet as the eye glances over the human family, how few attain that consistency of conduct, and devotedness of piety, which will recommend religion to a disobedient and gainsaying world. How numerous are the varieties of character, and alas! how equally numerous are the forms of neglected duties, and feeble exhibitions of the Christian graces which appear on every side. The outline of a few of such characters held up before our view, may serve to turn our thoughts to our own defects, and while we steadily behold them, may lead us to ask, Is it I?

Behold one in the spring-time of life led to ask the question, "What must I do to be saved?" He goes to his pastor, is directed in the way of salvation, professes faith in Christ, gives evidence of spiritual change, and in the presence of the great congregation vows allegiance to his new Master. He seals his vows at the table of the Lord, he goes out into the world, for a few months the re alities of eternity seem to interest him. He attends statedly the public worship of God, hears with seriousness and attention the everlasting Gospel, is seen in his seat at the evening lecture and social prayer meeting, appears consistent and serious. But little occurs for a while to try his sincerity. At last he becomes the head of a family, he is urged to erect at once a family altar. Instead of yielding immediate and cheerful obedience, he hesitates, he pleads diffidence and inability. No acknowledgment of God is made at his table, or in the sweet exercises of morning and evening prayer. His character is further shewn. Trifles keep him from the house of God, he wastes the most precious portion of his time, his Sabbath mornings, in sinful slumbers; if he appears at all in the house of God, it is at a late hour. Business keeps him from

the more social exercises of the sanctuary, and all is attended to but the interests of his soul, and the obligations resting upon him as a professed disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ; and he who once vowed in the presence of God, angels and the world, to make heaven his chief portion, is now daily seen seeking first, not the kingdom of God, but his own interest, ease and gratification. The secret is revealed, the heart is wanting. God is not placed on its throne, something else beside true love for him and true submission to the divine law influenced his profession and governs the whole man. Alas! how many such are seen in this selfish, heartless world. While therefore we remember that he who having once put his hand to the plough and looks back is pronounced unfit for the kingdom of heaven, let us each ask our own heart, whom does this resemble? Is it I? And if the faithful witness answers, yes, let us not lessen, or excuse our sins, but confessing them before God with deep humility, let us repent in dust and ashes and return to Jesus, with the ardour of our first love, never forgetting that he only who "endures to the end shall be saved.”

H. M.

me.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM MR. SIMEON

TO MR. EAST.

What you say respecting your beloved wife greatly comforts Her observation respecting what she expects to be her frame of mind at the first instant of her admission into heaven so exactly accords with my experience, that I cannot refrain from giving her my views.

"It has been often said by persons, and it is with many a very favourite idea, 'I shall, at my admission into the divine presence, shout louder than any one.' I expect it will be far otherwise with me. I expect rather to fall upon my face, with the deepest selfabasement, and not even to venture to lift up my eyes, until especially enjoined to do so; and then to sing only with a tremulous and scarcely audible voice, such as in some favoured seasons I have uttered in God's house below, the wonders of Redeeming Love.

"I think dear Mrs. E.'s mind seems to be cast in the same mould. Whether this be of a high or a lower caste, I will not take upon me to determine; but these feelings in my own soul give me a sweet and tender sympathy with her. I think our heavenly Bridegroom will be best pleased with that state of mind which

most accords with the real condition of our souls. Had I been a loving duteous bride all my days, I might feel towards Him what such a bride would feel towards her earthly husband; but I have been originally taken from the most abandoned state, and have requited all his love with the most sinful departures, and have been brought back to him only by the most tender solicitations and most constraining acts of love. True, he has forgiven me; but can I forgive myself? Must not every testimony of his love towards me make me hate myself ten times more, and abhor myself in dust and ashes? This then is the way in which I go in and out before him here; and in which I even desire to meet him when I shall come into his immediate presence hereafter. With Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, I desire to live; and with Mary, washing his feet with her tears, and wiping them with the hair of her head, I desire to die."

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FRIENDLY VISITOR.

No. 253.]

OCTOBER, 1839.

[VOL. 21.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IS A SPIRIT OF PRAYER.

If we possess that faith which overcomes the world, our strongest desires will be after the things of eternity. Worldly good will grow less in our esteem. The great object of desire for ourselves and others, will be the favour of God. The whole soul will be drawn forth in prayer, that God would sanctify his church, and save a lost world.

This was the spirit of that Master whom we profess to follow. Christ Jesus, as the omniscient Saviour, had a clear and correct view of human guilt. He knew the value of the soul. He knew how deeply stained that soul was with sin's pollution. He saw the glories of heaven, and the eternal horrors of hell.

This view of man's character and destiny drew him from the upper throne to this wretched world, to seek and save the lost.

This view made him also our intercessor. Whole nights did he pass in agonizing prayer for a guilty world. He taught his disciples to pray. The very first petition which they were to offer, after the invocation, was, "thy kingdom come." He not only wrestled for us in the days of his humiliation, but he is at the right hand of the Father, as our Advocate and High Priest. It is in his name, and through his merits, that our prayers find acceptance.

With such an example before us; with such an intercessor, ready to purify and to present our petitions ; with such motives as our own salvation and the salvation of millions of immortal souls; what Christian can refrain from offering the fervent, the effectual prayer of the righteous?

God the Father is on a throne of grace. He is more ready to give than we are to ask. At his right hand

K

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